substance i thought was interesting is the police have seen a lot of basically hoax things posted on the internet and this is i guess an unfortunate thing that happens after the these shootings. we have seen some of these, too of messages that purport to be from adam lanza or to predict this event. but the federal authorities that i have talked to that have seen a lot of these say it is clear they were put together and posted after the event. they don't believe there was any kind of social media posting or anything predicting this. and the police lieutenant says that there are other people who purport to speak for the state and put out information that's wrong and basically had a warning that they could be prosecuted. but he said it is going to be weeks before they know the answer. we do know some more detail though about the nature of the shooting because officials say that adam lanza carried at least three guns into sandy hook elementary on friday but they say he used old one of them to kill the children, an assault-style rifle that his

mother bought. the medical ex-naerm newtown says the children were each shot several times, all with an assault-style rifle like this one, a bush master bushmaster similar to the rifle used ten years ago by the washington, d.c. snipers who killed ten people and wounded three others. investigators say the gun belonged to nancy lanza of newtown, purchased legally in the last few years and used, they say, by her son, adam, who took it to the school after first fatally shooting his mother at the home where they both lived. authorities have not said how she stored the weapons, whether she kept them locked. nancy lanza's sister-in-law, adam lanza's aunt, stays is not unusual for a divorced woman, like nancy, who lived alone, to have them in the house. >> self-defense. she was a female. live aid loan, live nald beautiful neighborhood. >> reporter: but those guns she bought for protection, investigators say you were used by her own son to kill her. former classmates said a dam

lanza was an awkward loner, bright, but painfully shy, so stoic says the former head of high school secure that he showed no sign that he felt physical pain. cindy crom berg says she heard all about adam from her son, kyle, who was a classmate. >> felt that he was odd, that there was no question that he was not a mainstream kids, that he was odd and did say he did had a difficult time making eye contact. >> reporter: adam lanza's father, peter, issued a written statement saturday saying "no words can truly express how heartbroken we are. we are in a state of disbelief and trying to find whatever answers we can. we, too he said, are asking why." as the for that big question of why, investigators at that news conference said moments ago it may be weeks before the answer is apparent. they say they still don't know, that he left behind no note or letter. one promising safe analyzing his computer, they have seized his computers that they have in the house.

though he is apparently damaged one of them, they said they hope to uncover what information it may have. alex? >> did he remove the hard drive from one of them and if so, from that computer, wouldn't be able to be access to anything, correct? >> he apparently removed it and damage it had but they found it. so they are trying to see whether they can reconstruct what's on it nonetheless. >> all right, pete williams, many thanks there from washington. at this hour, portraits are beginning to emerge of the victims, many of them as young as 6 years old. msnbc's chris januarying is live for news newtown. chris, i know we just heard there from the connecticut state police but let's talk about what's happening around you today o. >> reporter: think the significant thing we heard from lieutenant vance a few minutes ago was confirming that that part of the investigation is over and some of the bodies have begun to be released to the families. i have talked to many of the religious leaders in this community. of course, they have spent the last 48 hours or so trying to

console their congregations and now many of them are planning for funerals. at least eight of them at the local catholic church, one at the local synagogue. we are beginning to hear from the families of the victim -- victims as well. 6-year-old emelie parker's dad held a small news conference last night and robbie parker talked about his daughter. here's what he said. >> we find comfort, reflecting on the incredible person that emelie was and how many lives she was able to touch in her short time here on earth. emelie was bright, creative and very loving. emilie was always willing to try new thing also, other than food. she loved to use her talents to touch the lives of everyone she came into contact. she was an exceptional artist. and she always carried around her markers and pencils so that she never missed an opportunity to draw a picture or make a card for those around her.

i can't count the number of times emilie noticed someone feeling sad or frustrated and would rush to find a piece of paper to draw them a picture or to write them an encouraging note. >> many of the people, the parents, in particular, who were waiting for word of their children in the immediate aftermath of the shooting all gathered at the fire house were joined by the leaders of their congregations. among them, the local rabbi. i spoke with him last night. i know that he met with the family this morning to plan the funeral for a 6-year-old boy. here's part of what he told me. nch>> know ya pozner was a love boy, as well as ben wheeler, a friend of the congregation, both lovely first graders in that same classroom t is very tough and we were hoping they were just injured. we didn't know.

the governor came back with the bad news. >> what do you say in a moment like that or are there no sfwhorsd. >> there are no words. you want to listen and be very loving and empathetic at that tender stage. love is very powerful and it's felt very strongly. you just have to be there to hold their hand and give them love and don't have to plan the rest of their lives out. >> reporter: we learned official fryly from the white house that the president would be coming here today and asked him if he thought that would be helpful and he stayed he thought it would be extraordinarily helpful the outpouring of support they have gotten, not just in this community but around the country and around the world, it has really been felt by the people he has spoken to the family members he has spoken to obviously, alex, this is something the president has done before. i have seen him do it you know,

twice very recently. it is obviously a monumental and heartbreaking task, but one that the religious leaders who organize this he can cue men cal service tonight believe would will be very part of this long and difficult healing process. alex? >> something that struck me, chris, about robbie parker, the father of 6-year-old emilie, he also talked about his concern about the lanza family and how difficult this must be for them, for both peter, the father, and ryan, adam's older brother. is that a sentiment that you hear echoed in that area as well because nancy lanza was part of this community? >> you know, i think that my impression is and i don't want to pretend to speak for everyone, although i have spoken with quite a few members of this community. they are focused on the victims, but twlen is talk of adam lanza, when there is talk of his mother, nancy, i think it is remarkable that people do have a

sense of already forgiveness, if i can use that word, that they understand that the other people who may be family our friends, that they are suffering as well. we did get a statement for the first time last night from adam lanza's father, offering his sympathies to all the people. and saying that he doesn't understand any more than anyone else, that he is trying to figure out what could have caused his son to commit this heinous act and so i have been very moved, i think you were last night, when you saw the father of that beautiful 6-year-old girl reaching out and seeming to hold not only no animosity but really reaching out in a very loving way. >> yeah. it is remarkable how people react at times, but chris jansing, many, many thanks. we will speak with you again. six women who worked at the sandy hook elementary school with were killed in the shooting

attack. three of their co-workers talked to nbc's matt lauer about what happened friday and how it affected them and their students. >> we were hearing screaming out in the hall and they were hearing more, um, popping sounds, gunshot sounds and the sounds over the loud speaker and they began to get upset. and i just kept reassuring them that they would be okay, that they were loved, that their mommies and daddies would be there soon. and that we had them. we had them. we would hold them tight. um, and they did continue to cry, but they were able to hold it together. they were -- they were amazing. they were quiet when i needed them to be and they held each other and they were perfect. they were perfect.

>> chris, where were you? >> i was in the very front of the building in a meeting. we were holding a parent meeting. many of the leaders of the building were around the table. and we heard the first gunshots and we knew exactly they were gunshots. and immediately, the leaders in our building did what they needed to do and they ran out of the door to go take care of the situation. the remaining people in the building -- in the meeting room, probably about six or seven of us, we gathered under the tables and just listened to non-stop gunfire happening right outside the door, knowing that that gunfire was showering the hallways and the classrooms and it just was non-stop. we just kept holding tight. we kept praying. and kept waiting for the firing

to stop. >> do you have any sense for how long it lasted? >> i lost sense of all time while i was there. i do know that it lasted probably at least ten minutes. it was non-stop. and it kept happening and happening. we thought it was over and then it started again. >> maybe a half an hour. again, time is -- it wasn't an hour but it might have been a half an hour. there was a knock at the door. and of course, at that point, i'm thinking, okay, i think this is good but do i even open the door? but when you look out, you have to make a decision and i see men with guns and they look like they were either from the fbi or troopers or something and so we opened the door and they said, you need to come out of the building. so have the children follow you. have them hold hands. have them cover their eyes. >> and that picture showing exactly what was happening there teachers at sandy hook elementary school talking with nbc's matt lauer. could better or different school security have stopped this incident? we will get one expert's perspective in minutes.

but first, remembering the victims. this this 6-year-old ana marquez-green. listen as she sings "come almighty king" with her brother, isaiah. they were both in school together. he managed to escape. ana did not. ♪ a regular guy with an irregular heartbeat. the usual, bob? not today. [ male announcer ] bob has afib: atrial fibrillation not caused by a heart valve problem, a condition that puts him at greater risk for a stroke. [ gps ] turn left. i don't think so. [ male announcer ] for years, bob took warfarin, and made a monthly trip to the clinic to get his blood tested. but not anymore. bob's doctor recommended a different option: once-a-day xarelto®. xarelto® is the first and only once-a-day prescription blood thinner for patients with afib not caused by a heart valve problem, that doesn't require routine blood monitoring. like warfarin, xarelto® is proven effective

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grieving people worldwide are sending their thoughts to connecticut. rio de janeiro, a woman sets crosses, one for each victim n pakistan, children lit candles and said connecticut school killing we feel your pain as would you feel our pain.

political headlines in this weekend's papers all ask one thing is it time for stricter gun laws? it's an all too familiar debate that some are saying particularly horrific nature of the sandy hook shooting could be a tipping point. joiching me now is congressman emmanuel cleaver. sir, thank you so much for your time. >> good to be with you. >> sure you're aware, congressman that senator dianne feinstein said on this morning's meet the appreciation the first day of the new congress, she is going to introduce a new bill into the senate and another introduced into the house banning assault weapons. will you vote in favor of that bill? >> yes, i will. the assault weapons ban should never have expired and i'm going to vote for t i don't see the difference in selling assault weapons and selling scud missiles. both are instrouchlts war. there is no reason for that, we don't infringe on the constitution by banning weapons

that are designed to murder human beings and not to do it even in a war situation. i do think we have to be very careful about just assuming that reinnsing out the assault weapons ban will solve our problems. we have this perverted propensity to pack pistols. we also have a nation that is so involved with violence that it is seen as fun. look at the video games. look at how we talk about t there mult policity of things that need to be addressed and if dealing with an assault weapons ban is the first thing and others that follow, i'm all for it. >> among the things people talk about is mental health, dealing with the issues and gettinging gettinging -- getting help to those who need it.

>> the president campaigned on '08 in the assault weapon ban and the only gun legislation that the president has signed since then, one is the right to carry a gun in national parks where our kids play and one is the right to carry guns on amtrak. i assume that's to stop the rash of train robberies which stopped back in the 1800s. and this is ridiculous. >> sir, how do you respond to that? >> mayor bloomberg is on target and very motional about it and he has been consistently pushing for stronger controls on weapons. we need to realize i'm not

confused over what is going on. i think we have volumes of violence in many different forms in this country and we need to take a look at all of them. the guns the mayor spoke of need to be addressed. we are a violent society. you can see it in just before he aspect of life in this country and until we are able to reajust, have some kind of a revolution in the way we create and present violence, we are going to continue to have this. >> i want to pick up on what you said regarding emotion. you said mayor bloomberg is emotional about this. do you think that this incident at sandy hook has struck such an emotional chord with people, legislators and people across this country, that now it will make a difference. because previously, being emotional about something, people think, they are going off half-coxed, not using calm, rational, deductive thinking to

reason it out. in this case, do you support emotion being the driving factor for people saying enough is enough, whether it is sorrow or anger or anything else? >> well, you in can't feel emotional over what just happened in connecticut, you can't -- there's something wrong with you anyway, you need to seek treatment. i wanted to go and collect my four children and their little children and put them in my home and lock the door until you can leave when you're 25. because that's just how i felt. and then my emotions went from anger to, you know excompassion, to hostility again. and so i do think that anger is going to be an inevitable and unavoidable part of what motivates a reaction. this is different from everything happening, you talk about kids being shot and killed in a school, elementary school, 6 years old it would take a

heartless heart. the danger is always in this country that this will become a part of the political partisanship this is one of the talking points in the political tribalism. if i'm a republican, i'm supposed to oppose any and everything dealing with guns. if i'm a liberal, i'm supposed to support t. >> representative cleaver though when you say you're supposed to if you're a republican on liberal democrat do something else, is congress handcuffed on gun control by the nra? >> well, i would imagine that there are members who are trying to get a 100% score from the nra, which is then used to campaign, raise money against a person who does not have the 100%. but i -- i really think that the overwhelming majority of americans are sane and they are interested in seeing that this at lee is minimized. this kind of mindless act is minimized.

but look, as painful for me it is to say there are individuals no in congress who may believe it is time to ban assault weapons but who might not want to do it because they don't want the barrage of nra money and opposition coming in their direction. >> glad you said that congressman clear. i want to thank you for your concerned and your time. >> good to be one. >> thank you. next up, new information on the mother of the gunman and the cache of weapons she kept in their house. for those with visions of doing this... ...this... ...and this, dancing in their heads... ...we have these. home depot gift cards. give the gift of doing, in-store or online. military families face, we understand. at usaa, we know military life is different. we've been there. that's why every bit of financial advice we offer is geared specifically

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three hours parks i knew it definitely wasn't a drill. going on the fourth hour, the announcer came on and said you can carry on with your classes and there's been a shooting at sandy hook and everyone was just -- my whole class started erupting at tearins and everything, they didn't know if their siblings were dead or

alive. >> a middle school student relived the moments after the attack and she and her family visited the vigil outside sandy hook elementary. new gets gunman, his meter and role of guns in their lives. joining me now, criminologist and msnbc analyst, james fox, also the co-author of "violence and security on campus." glad to have you back with me here today why do you think that nancy lanza, a well-to-do suburban housewife, divorcee now, why do you think she kept a cache of weapons, high-powered weapons as well in her home? >> we can't ask her, of course. but many americans do. i wouldn't support it. i wouldn't have a weapon like that in my home because even though you may keep weapons for sport or for self-defense, all too often that weapon that ostensibly was there to protect you is used against you by a family member and that's exactly what happened here. >> so, what kind of experience with guns would lanza have needed to perform the attack

that he carried out? >> well, he had practice. he went -- apparently went with his mother to the firing range. and it takes a little bit of skill, it is not like a novice can go and be proficient. but it was close range. it didn't take great aim. in a situation like that the level of skill needed is not particularly high. >> yeah. can you, as we start to piece together more and more about adam lanza, who he was, the environment in which he lived, his education and lack thereof, whether there was home schooling or the rest, why do you think he went into that school? there are reports that he had been a student at the elementary school years ago. >> perhaps he was and perhaps it was a negative experience for him. so, it may be some degree of pay back for all the torment and if he was bullied, we don't know that, that he would have suffered. now, given his social awkwardness, i wouldn't have

been surprised if he had trouble with peers back then or simply could be that he wanted to punish society and how can you best pup nish society where it's most vulnerable? by killing our most precious members of society, the children. so, either that school had a personal, negative feel for him, experience, or it was just a symbol of this is my revenge. >> james fox, thanks for your insights. appreciate it. more on the president's trip to connecticut today. we have a live report coming up next on ""weekends with alex witt."" i'm done!

"are you a cool mom?" i'm gonna find out. [ female announcer ] swiffer wetjet's pads are better than ever. now they have the scrubbing power of mr. clean magic eraser so you don't have to get down on your hands and knees to scrub away tough, dried-on stains. hey, do you guys think i'm "momtacular" or "momtrocious"? ♪ [ female announcer ] swiffer. now with the scrubbing power of mr. clean magic eraser. we will cam back to "weekends with alex witt." 33 past the hour. new develops if theth in newtown school tragedy. the medical examiner will release results of the autopsy from adam lanza and his mother, nancy. he shot her at her home before

killing himself after opening fire at the school. sandy hook students will resume classes on wednesday but at a different location. the rest of the school district will return to class on tuesday. and just a few minutes ago, connecticut state police released new details about their investigation. they said detectives are processing both crime scenes right now, but lieutenant paul vance said impersonators are trying to take advantage of the situation. >> there has been misinformation coming from people posing as the shooter in this case, posing -- using other i.d.s, mimicking this crime and crime scene and active that took place in this community. there's been some things in somewhat of threatening manner t is important to know that we have discussed with federal authorities that these issues are crimes, they will be investigated, statewide and

federally and prosecution will take place when people perpetrating this information are identified. >> right now the people of new town are plea pairing for an unbearable number of child funerals and as thousands rally in that small new england town to mourn and pray, we are also learning more about the victims and the details are devastating. nbc's danielle lee is live in newtown with more on their stories. danielle, given the ages of these children alone, it is just heartbreaking. >> reporter: alex it is just so heartbreaking. .i just got back from visiting sandy hook elementary on the other side of this park here and just about everywhere you go in and out of the town center, a long line of cars filled with people coming in to pay their respec respects many with tear in their eyes. there is just so much loss, hard to imagine the sad innocence this tight-knit community. the deep pain is cementing in on the faces of those who lost their babies. 6 and 7-year-olds, like emelie

parker, brutally killed by an assault-style rifle. >> my daughter, emilie, would be one of the first ones to be standing and giving her love and support to all those victims, because that's the type of person that she is. >> reporter: friends of teacher vicki soto shared tears and hugs, remembering a woman police say died a hero, trying to shield her students. >> could you go to her and ask for a hug and she would just open her arms. >> reporter: also, principal dawn hochsprung, who ran toward the gunfire. >> she gave her life for her students. >> reporter: teacher lauren rousseau. >> she just loved and loved the little kids. >> reporter: police say the 20-year-old here is the killed his mother, then forced his by this sandy hook elementary carrying three weapons. they say he killed 12 girls, eight boys and six women, then took his own life. >> i believe everyone was hit more than once. >> reporter: connie sullivan remembers the horror as she hid

her third graders in a closet. >> i told them that i loved them and that they would be okay. >> reporter: parents now struggle to help their children feel safe again. >> she kept saying i can't get it out of my head. she was saying that this morning. i can't get it out of my mind. >> reporter: so many grieving but also uniting in hope as they face the loss of innocence in this little community. just about 30 minutes ago, police told us they are making progress and trying to determine a motive in this shoot bug they also warned it could be weeks before they are able to give people some of the anticipates that they are looking for. report living in newtown, connecticut, i'm danielle leigh. back to you. >> thanks for that. today, president obama will be in newtown to speak at a vigil for the victims tonight, those that were kill ted sandy hook elementary school a vigil was held last night as well remembering the 20 young children who died and some are making new calls for stricter gun control laws. nbc's kristen welker is in connecticut for us. what can you tell us about the president's visit later today? >> reporter: alex, i can tell

that you when he arrives here a little bit later on this afternoon, he will meet with victims, family members as well as first responders. he will be offering his support and condolences, not only as the president but also as a father, as a husband. later on this evening, he will speak here at the newtown high school at an interfaith prayer vigil. white house officials tell me that his speech will be focused on the families, on this community. do not expect to hear any policy in that speech, alex. this is becoming an all too familiar trip that president obama is making. this will be the fourth time that he will have visited a community that has been ravaged and torn apart by gun violence this past summer, he visit aurora, colorado, in the wake of that massacre. last year, it was tucson, arizona, after a gunman killed six people and critically wounded arizona congressman gabrielle giffords. of course, show on the road to recovery and 2009, fort hood, texas, after a gunman claim sod

many lives there president obama remarking on friday that this country has suffered too many of these tragedies it is certainly a sentiment that is being felt by this entire community and this nation right now. alex? >> absolutely right. okay, kristen welker, thank you very much for monitoring the president's travel there is today. a shocking new statistic out today in the wake of this deadly rampage. we will share after a break. ...and this, dancing in their heads... ...we have these. home depot gift cards. give the gift of doing, in-store or online. since then, there's been one wedding, 2 kids, and 43 bottles of olay total effects. so in spite of 185 tantrums 378 pre-dawn starts and a lot of birthdays, caroline still looks amazing. you can challenge what's possible thanks to the trusted performance of olay.

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newtown. >> thanks for having me. >> get to the latest in terms of what's going on on the ground. interpret the move there and how people are feeling and when there will be any sort of emotional resolution to all of this? >> i think people right now are still trying to figure out how to process this, think about it are there is really no precedent for this. this is a small town. this is a town that prays together that works together that celebrates together and now just trying to figure out how to grieve together that makes the loss even deeper because everyone here knows one of those kids or one of those families, but i think it is also an opportunity because the acts of humanity are just spilling over in the last several days and i think the closeness of this very small town is going to be one of the things that allows this town to figure out how to move forward. but that's not going to take place for a long time. this is a process of just trying to how to think about this awful crime. >> people are involved in

something like this seems like a small, insular world as you grieve and try to process. do you think people there are aware of the worldwide response to things? i mean, they were showing pictures of kids in pakistan who were lighting candles and saying we were thinking but, and you would be thinking about us in the same situation. are people aware of that? >> i think people are aware of the fact there are people all around this country this world, grieving with them. and i think that that there be of some assistance as time goes on. ultimately, newtown will heal together. i know this town very well. if you want to sort of picture small town new england, come to n newtown. the world matters and this town will have to figure out how to deal with their own grief that will take a very long time. >> a grief shared by the president who will be coming there later today. are you going to be meeting with him? >> i will be with him this

evening. i'm glad that he is coming here. there's no words that can change the dynamic on the ground. in is a president who has a unique ability to let people see the big pitch and a path forward. you know, right now, a lot of families here are blind to that path forward and if the president can, you know, offer any hope of,this community recovers, just a sliver, it certainly is what we need. >> when you meet with victims' families what do they tell you right now? nch>> again, i don't know what y think right now, i have a 4-year-old son and dropped him off at school friday morning and i saw him again t is hard to understand how we live in a world where they drop their son or daughter off and that's it. there is a blankness, frankly, on the faces of most families here, but then you see this community respond. then you see the thousands of newtown residents who are down

at the fire house providing everything from food to counselling to just a hug and you can start to see the way that this community digs itself out from this emotional morass. there is a blankness now, but there's just a ton of love here that's amazing to see. it would seem your first day of work as a senator on the agenda, we already know what is going to be discussed and may have heard senator diane feinstein of california plans to introduce a bill on that first day banning weapons. will you support that? >> well, i will get sworn into the united states senate on january 3rd and my first, second and third job is to learn lessons from this tragedy and figure out how to respond. frankly, having been on the ground for the last 36, 72 hours here, you know, i'm just trying to help the families work through this process. but yeah, we have got to have a national conversation about a number over things, not just assault weapons and

high-capacity magazine clips but why we have waiting lines for access to mental health, why we allow for a culture of violence that celebrates the kind of death and destruction that we saw here today. there's no easy answer for why this happened and there's frankly no silver bull pet, no easy answer for how we make sure this doesn't happen again, but it's certainly gonna consume the first part of my work as a united states senator. >> and we will all be watching and support you, so thank you very much. and best of luck in the days ahead. >> thank you, alex. coming up, stories and pictures that will both chill you and inspire you. but when i was in an accident... i was worried the health care system spoke a language all its own with unitedhealthcare, i got help that fit my life. so i never missed a beat. that's health in numbers. unitedhealthcare. ♪

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it's like santas for sandy shook what we're doing and that's where we're, like, getting the money, we are giving it to the families who lost people. we are all here for them. like if they need anything, the whole community has them, has

their backs, like we'll do anything for them. >> a group of new town high schoolers who joined others around town to help victims' families. they felt you recalled to help their neighbors, collect doling nations for a new support fund. in an interview on today's "meet the press," senator dianne feinstein made a big announcement after being asked if president obama has failed to lead on gun control. >> i'm going to introduce in the senate and the same bill troinlt deuced in the house, a bill to ban assault weapons. it will ban the sale, the transfer, the importation, and the special, not retroactively but prospectively and the same for big clubs, drums or stroiches more than ten bullets. >> joining me now is former pennsylvania governor ed rendell and former congressman from virginia, tom davis.

hello, guys version glad to have you both here so we can start this conversation. governor, i will begin with you, can an assault weapons ban get through the house and senate? >> sure it can. >> we can close the gun hole loophole. 74% of gun owners and 63% of nra members favor required a background check for everyone who buys a gun. legs get serious and understand that gun owners and nra members were common sense people and get this thing done immediate any january. >> an even bigger question, governor, might be this. were an assault weapons ban to be in place, in effect, would that have prevented a tragedy like this? >> no, wouldn't have prevent it had but limited the carnage. understand this fellow is reported to have shot 100 different times. if he had magazines that were

only limited to ten, that means he would have had to reload ten times, in the act of reloading, a lot of those kids would have gotten away, that's what people don't understand n aurora that guy had a magazine, 100 builts in it. 100 builts in it, automatic magazine. we can limit the carnage. we can't eliminate these events from happening but we can limit the carnage. we can save lives. by the way, alex, do you know any sensible reason any law abiding american, other than law enforcement or military, should have a clip more than ten bills in the it? >> no. >> not one. so, no more bs. >> gotcha. congressman, in the same broadcast we showed senator feinstein, david gregory says his team called all 31 pro-gun senators in the new congress and not a single one would come on the show to defend their views. what does that tell you? >> i think at this point, they are going a different direction, trying to hide after an incident like this but let me just tell you my experience as a leader in

the house and watching what's happened in the senate. you have got a number of rural democrats, starting with senator reid, a number of rural democrats up for re-election next time this is not an issue of popularity turks is one of intensity a lot of gun owners vote that single issue, whereas voters who may favor controls tend to vote on a lot of other issues. the politics of this over the last decade and a half have been purely really in the gun owner's favor. you look at president obama's record, he signed two bills on guns to allow more guns on national parks and amtrak that is the direction they have been going. i think is a real uphill struggle to try to get anything through the democrat senate, let alone the republican house. >> alex, what happened on friday though, what happened on friday may have raised the intensity meter of people who heretofore haven't had the same intensity as you the nra. time all good americans get that intensity meter up. >> representative davis, i want to ask you about the things that prevent this from happening. i guess two ways to look at it,

is it because the nra is all powerful, which i will add mayor bloomberg said is not the case earlier. could it be that or just because people are so worried about their constituents, they just want to keep their jobs? it's -- you have to wonder what is the motivation to sign on to something is that really doesn't make common sense? ed rendell is saying is there any reason for anyone to have these assault-type weapons that are not in the military or private citizen? no, there's not. >> alex, just remember, the crime bill that passed in 1993, 1994 in the house, a number of democrats went down to defeat after voting for that bill that contained an assault weapons ban. i actually voted to extend the ban when i was in congress. but they couldn't get it through. president bush said woe sign t but understand, these rural constituencies it is not the nra but people who own guns, very nervous about this being the first step, starting with

assault weapons and coming after their hunting rifles that argument lost by advocates of gun control this is a matter of intense i the polls have sheep even after virginia tech, the intensity only went up a couple of points in terms of public opinion. so, this is an uphill struggle. anything can happen but i look at legislation these gone over the last four year, even when he had a democratic congress, nothing happened except the -- allowing guns to be taken into national parks and amtrak that passed under democratic congresses signed by president obama, you get a lot of talk, a lot of interest after this. i also note that connecticut did some have some of the strictest gun flaws the country. as the governor said this wouldn't have stop it had, but the magazine issue is another issue all together. you may have a shot on that. >> so right that the nr sachlt a paper tiring. look at me, i got elected three times in pennsylvania, statewide office, 10 points, 12 points 21 points, nra opposed me every time. we are the second largest nra

membership state in the union they are a paper tiger on issues like this all we have to do is have some congressman and senators are wusses. >> maybe employ a little of common sense. make that appeal among your constituents as well as your fellow colleagues there on alcoh capitol hill. ban together and unanimity u >> nobody gets hurt. >> alex, let me also note senator murphy made pretty good comments too, mental health issues this need to be addressed. >> absolutely. absolutely. >> movie ratings, video games. absolutely. >> complete package of things we need to look at. >> the question when it comes to mental health, something we all have a to deal with ac make sure people who need the help get it and how the federal government gets involved here remains to be answered but gentlemen, thank you for your answers to my questions. i appreciate it.

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>> my daughter, emilie, would be one of the first ones to be standing and giving her love and support to all of those victims because that is type of person that she is. ♪ one voice silenced, one voice anguished, dozens of voices hopeful, we now have faces and names and aims to the vick from sandy hook as candles burn in their memory here and around the world. hello, everyone, welcome to "weekends with alex witt." we are hearing new stories today that frankly defy comprehension, stories of both heroism and heartbreak but we begin with hear healing. the president will travel to newtown today to lead national mourning in that small corner of

connecticut to lend comfort to those both far and near. the president will meet with victims' families and thank first responders and he will speak at 75:00 vigil. part of that national recovery began in newtown this morning as churches welcomed mourners to remember the victims a sign posted outside one location warned the media to keep their distance. right now the people of that small new england community are turning toward faith and each other in the face of their unimaginable grief. and as they brace themselves for multiple funerals, we are learning more about the victims. nbc's michelle franzen has the latest in this report. good morning, michelle. >> reporter: alex, these are the names and the faces of this tragedy, the bright boys and girls who were just learning to read, write and learn about their world. and the teachers and school employees who sacrificed their

lives to save others. they are the youngest victims of the sandy hook shootings, 12 girls, eight boys, first graders, gunned down just as they were beginning the school day. 6-year-old emilie parker, loved to draw and was always smiling, according to her dad, robbie. >> emilie was bright, creative and very loving. >> reporter: fought back tears talking about how proud he was of his little girl. >> my daughter, emilie, would be one of the first ones to be standing and giving her love and support to all those victims. >> reporter: classmate ana grace marquez-green. her grandmother and uncle live in puerto rico and told a newspaper they were traveling to connecticut saturday to mourn with ana grace's family. ♪ there is also 6-year-old jesse

lewis, a neighbor told the connecticut post he loved playing and spending time with horses. 20 students, all 6 or 7 years old, shot plult pell time buys gunman adam lance. six other victims, teacher and staff, who gave their lives trying to stop them while protecting the children. among them, dawn hochsprung, the 47-year-old popular principal at the school who helped implement recent security measures, 30-year-old lauren rousseau, who was hired as a permanent substitute teach they aer this d school psychologist, mary sherlach. they are preparing the community and families for the next stage in the grieving process. >> first, we need to bury the dead and a lot of consolation will take place in those ceremonies. >> reporter: saying good-bye to the brave and bright faces and

mourning together. and it is not just this community that is coming together to show support. an outpouring of sympathy and support is also coming in from around the country, helping these families and this community find more solace and strength. alex? >> all right, michelle franzen, thank you. we are hearing from the father of adam lan zblachlt a statement, peter lanza says, "no words can truly express how heartbroken we are. we are in a state of disbelief in trying and-to-find whatever answers we can. he too are asking why." >> in washington today the discussion has turned to a debate over assault weapons on this morning's "meet the press," senator dianne feinstein said she will lead the charge for a ban. joining me now nbc news investigative correspondent michael isikoff. michael with a welcome to you, how much does the type of weapon used change this story? >> reporter: well, i think it could change it a lot. in fact, probably the most significant disclosure we have gotten in the last 24 hours was

from the medical examiner yesterday that these young children were killed by the assault-style rifle that adam lanza used and in some cases, multiple shots at each child. now, these weapons have been the subject of debate and controversy for years now and president obama had pledged in 2008 to reinstate a federal ban on assault rifles, which had lapsed under president bush. but after taking office, he did little to push that issue. he never proposed legislation. white house aides told cabinet members, like attorney general eric holder, who had raised the issue, not to talk about it. at one point that campaign pledge was actually stripped from the white house website. the political calculation inside the white house was -- the cost of taking on the nra and the gun

lob i was about too great. but now, with this tragedy and the disclosure that a military-style assault rifle was used in the attack, it could -- it should and it is ratcheting up the debate clearly. we have heard that on "meet the press" today, the calls for renewal of the ban. there's going to be push back and people will say this weapon was not even covered by connecticut's own assault ban there is going to be a lot of debate about this i shall owned a lot we don't know. clearly, the stakes are higher now. >> given where you are right now, i want to ask you about the home where the carnage began, the lanza family home, where he shot her. does the investigation continue inside that home? if could so, what would they be looking for? >> reporter: still continuing,

still roped off, as you can see. we are not actually standing in front of the house itself. that's around the corner from us. but investigators have been poring over, still an evidence scene and as lieutenant vance made clear, there is stale lot of interviews that need to be conducted, a lot of -- a lot of evidence to go through. i can't speak to exactly what's going on in that house right now because we can't see but we do know that federal agents have been going to gun ranges in the air. we talked with one of them yesterday, going to shooting ranges, where we believe that the lanzas may have gone. we know that adam lanza's mother was an avid gun collector and took adam and her -- his brother, ryan, to local shooting ranges for practice, so one avenue that federal agents are

exploring is was he planning for this attack, adam lanza? was he going to these shooting ranges to practice for what he actually pulled off or perpetrated on -- last friday. >> it was discussed early on the broadcast this is something that happened and it would not happen unless someone had some sort of experience. you can't just get up with a rifle like that and start shooting. you have to know what you're doing. so, michael isikoff, many thanks for that update. i appreciate that. among those who died friday were six staffers, including the principal and teachers. three women who worked at sandy hook elementary school and survived talked about their horrific experience and how it is affecting them with nbc's matt lauer. >> you're talking about a situation that was pure kayious.

how do you get your arms around it? >> i don't know. i will take it one minute at a time. the waves come over you when you realize what happened. my kids were involved in an activity that's part of the morning meeting when i heard -- heard the -- what sounded like a.pentagon sound. >> it was about 9:30ish, maybe a little after, these noises came over the p.a. system. now, that's not a typical thing. >> some notices coming over the loud speaker, sounded like weeping. >> we were holding a parent meeting. and we heard the first gunshots and we knew exactly they were gunshots. >> popping sounds and gunshot sounds and they began to get upset. >> what you do as a kindergarten teacher is you divert attention away from what's happening? what is that?

i said maybe somebody is up on the roof getting a soccer ball. >> and immediately, the leaders in our building did what they needed to do and they ran out of the door, knowing the gunfire was showering the hallways and classrooms and it was just non-stop. >> i just kept reassuring them that they would be okay that they were loved. their mommies and daddies would be there soon. >> we had one of our staff members return to the room, she was injured, she had been shot. the gunshots finally stopped. we still were all in panic. that's when the state police arrived. >> they looked like they were either from the fbi or troopers. they said, you need to come out of the building. so have the children follow you. have them hold hands. have them cover their eyes. i did pass blood on the floor. >> i saw the looks on the faces, people looking for their children and when they were reunited with their children at the fire house, you can see receipt leave pouring over them. we are going to pick up the

pieces some. how we are going to stick together. and in time, we will heal. >> with he will move on. i'm not sure how, we will stick together. >> we will hold each other tightly. and we will. we will get this -- we will get this together again. >> nbc's matt lauer talking to three of the survivors of the shooting rampage at the sandy hook elementary school. this was the scene early this morning at st. rose of lima catholic chur there in newtown, connect connect. the somber parishioners leaving the church after mass. near the church, this makeshift memorial, a gentleman in a private moment along the street, paying his respects with a prayer.

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hundreds of mourners gathered in stratford, connecticut to honor shooting victim victoria society toe. the 27-year-old hid moose of her first grade class in a closet, then she same face-to-face with the gunman. she told lanza the students were in gym class but then he turned the gun on her. soto's close friends are thankful for the outpouring of support. >> the response is overwhelming, there's so many people here. it's nice to see how the community has come together, all classes. >> you could go to her and ask for a hug and she just opened her arms. >> parents have said they hope if their kids were in a situation like this they would have heroes like victoria soto at their jichld a new call today from senator dianne feinstein on nbc's "meet the press."

she said she is going to introduce a bill to ban assault weapons. joining me now is congressman scott ridgel from virginia. thank you so much, representative ridgel. glad you are here. >> thank you, alex. >> talk about the bill, as senator feinstein describe scribed it, is it something you can throw your support behind? >> well, it's a first, just the depth of really sorrow fallen upon these families. i just want to extend our heartfelt condolences to the families of victims. what has to take place is a two-part conversation, first is access to mental health service. my dad taught me how to hunt at a young age t is a family tradition.

the distinction between the hunting rifle and an assault rifle at times is the cosmetic part. that has to be part of the congress. >> bob schieffer said that congress is more afraid of the nra than any other lobbying organization, congress is scared to take them on. conversely, heard today on my board cast from former governor ed rendell, the nra is a paper tiring, he was elected three times to his position after the opposing the nra. and mayor michael bloomberg says they are not as hard core as they think they are and they can be wasn't. where do you fall on those strategy there is? >> listen, i bristle when i think of any member of congress, house or senate, being beholden to any special interest group. i have distanced myselves from americans with tax reform organization because of some key facts that i thought led me in that direction and i cast a vote against the nra earlier this year.

i like to think members respect beholden to a special interest group. >> where do you think the values of nra members fly is all sorts of statistics that say that the majority of nra members believe that there should be deep background checks that they are not necessarily for assault weapons. why is it that the majority of the members of the nra compromise those ideologies that there is anything but incredible background check he s and delay purchasing assault rifles or even the ability to get an assault rifle. why do we have this discrepancy? >> i suppose, alex, it's because there's always this slippery slope of tension that takes place on these critical-type debates where the two sides are unwilling to give much of any room on any topic because they think it will slide, you know, into the middle where, for

example, we won't allow them to have guns. that is the kind of thing that i think where all this goes and it's why there's this ten egsion the national debate out gun control. >> as we learn more about the culprit, two issues this emerge here, there's the assault weapons and there's mental health. >> yes. >> what specifically can congress do to increase mental health treatment? >> well, certainly make sure the funding's there. people who need mental health should have access to it but not access to gun puss. helping, i suppose, regular folks to be able to identify if someone in their life is having difficult mental health issues, i think that should be considered. but i think as part of this national conversation that really should take place now, we can bring in the experts and listen to them and to understand

what additional things we can do to put in place, both at the federal level and at the state and local level to help minimize horrific tragedies like the one so painfully visited upon the sandy hook community. >> i would like to switch gears now and discuss a new development on the fiscal cliff because it has been purported that speaker boehner raising tax rates on those making over $1 million, but the president reduced that offer, sticking to his $250,000 threshold there would you vote for a deal that raises taxes for those making over $1 million? >> alex, i made clear even earlier in this broadcast here, i have distanced myself from americans for tax reform pledge. i make the conservative case that revenues have to come up. >> so you didn't sign the norquist pledge? >> well, i did, but after a careful examination of our budget and two and a half years later, i removed myself as a supporter of that because we have locked ourselves into a tax rate and a yield of 16.9% that

we haven't been at since 1959. now, our expenses are far outside of hist toric norms and what i'm looking for in an agreement, alex, hopefully one that the president and the speaker come to where spending comes down sharply and also revenues do rise as a result of tax reform. and that's why i'm standing with and supporting the speaker in its negotiations. >> how about this, this i think it is clear the president is not going to completely back down on raising tax rates on the rich. is the gop just as steadfast in its stance on spending cuts? >> well, i don't think what threatens our country is a two-point increase in the rate on the highest earners. what really threatens the foundation of our republic is spending is truly far outside historic norms. so i'll consider certainly what the president and the speaker bring back for us to consider and ideally vote on before the end of the year, but i really do

want to see, alex, and i hope the president leads in this, of bringing the country together, helping the american people to understand that we must reform entitlements. there's really no option around that. we must speak the truth to the american people. they can handle the truth. they are looking for solutions and they are looking for leadership. >> so it sounds to me like you would support something if we were allowed to raise taxes on those making over $250,000 a year, as long as that comes with the spending cuts? >> alex so difficult up here, i'm in my first term, first elected office so difficult to say i would or would not vote on a particular bill, having not read t if for example, the president includes an insistence that the national debt can be raised by him exclusively and unilaterally, i can't imagine voting for that, because i think congress needs to restatain tha responsibility and duty. i will have to look at the whole

agreement, but i do think it is helpful if members can demonstrate some degree of flexibility, framed within some sound fiscal principles. i would like to think that's what i'm doing here because, as i mentioned, a careful examination of our budget leads know this clear and conservative view that rev sfloous to come up from these really -- the 16.9 that we have locked ourself into with the pledge it is too low. it's far lower than we have been historically and expenses have to come down sharply that's also true. >> representative scott ridgel, i hope i see you again on this broadcast. you are welcome any time. thank you. >> thank you, alex. the world wonders how could it happen? people around the world are reacting to the unimaginable horror at sandy hook. we have a live report coming up. hey sis,

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we approach the bottom of the hour, a look at the shooting at sandy hook elementary, which made headlines across the country. we will look at a few of them here this is the front page of the sunday hour in norwalk, connecticut, a picture of a scene difficult to even put into words. those young children from a nearby city visiting the makeshift memorial outside sandy hook element try, paying their respects. the heart-rending headlines you see there, we don't know how we're going to get through this a similar sentiment expressed on the front page of the "chicago sun-times" featuring yet another heartbreaking photo. from news day on long island, this stark, grim head lines, the toll, the front page bearing the nice. all the victims. from the daily herald outside chicago, the picture of a mother comforting her young daughter during service at st. john's episcopal church in newtown. new and personal details about the victims are emerging today but police released new details at the latest news conference.

msnbc's chris jansing is live in newtown once again. with a welcome back what is the latest from there? >> i think since we last spoke, alex, i have seen the best and maybe the worst of humanity with regards to this situation. let me start with what we heard at that news conference. the police are very concerned that there are folks thought taking advantage of what is obviously just one of the most horrific situations any one of us has ever witnessed before. let me allow the state police lieutenant vance tell you exactly what it is but it involves folks impersonating others on social media. here is what he said earlier today. >> there has been misinformation coming from people posing as the shooter in this case, posing -- using other i.d.s, mimicking this crime and crime scene and active that took place in this community. there's been some things in

somewhat of threatening manner. it is important to know that we have discussed with federal authorities that these issues are crimes, they will be investigated, statewide and federally and prosecution will take place when people perpetrating this information are identified. >> reporter: we did ask the lieutenant whether they had any suspects. it's very early in this. but again, people using social media to impersonate both investigators and the shooter and they say very clearly that they will prosecute. now, he talked about threats and there was a threat just a short time ago apparently to st. rosa lima catholic church. we have been telling but that parish. they have eight people who are victims just from that congregation alone. they had to evacuate the noon mass. now, they have been given the verbal all-clear but it is hard

to imagine that someone would -- we don't know where the threat came from, whether it came from social media, whether it was phoned in, we don't know, but it is hard to believe under these heartbreaking circumstances that someone would take advantage of that like this. now, on the other side of it i also want to report the outpouring that we continue to see. traffic is backed up in downtown newtown, alex. i can't even tell you how many people are coming in, parking long distances away. i saw such a heart-rending scene of a little boy dressed in his sunday church clothes, it looked to me, and carrying a bouquet of flowers. his dad held his happened, an umbrella over his head, very rainy and cold here, walking to the memorial that has sprung up downtown there are drives to collect toys for children this christmas. there are funds to help the victims. and just in every way you can possibly imagine, people are giving vince and financial shows

of support to this community. one more thing, as we were driving to the outskirts of downtown, there was someone putting up an enormous, enormous american flag and people in the cold and the rain laying out what looked to be some grass, some, you know's, tarp and it looks like another memorial is going pup just as you come off the highway here. so as i said you can the best and the worst of humanity in reaction to this. tonight, i think we will focus on the best as we see this community come together for the ecumenical service that will include a speech by the president. alex? >> yeah. chris, i just want to pick up with what you had mentioned about the evacuation. we have been monitoring that as well, the evacuation of that church, which has been given the all-clear. there was some sort of a threat that was phoned in. there were no details as to what was the content of that threat, but it was not against lieutenant vance who let this

information just be known as you were talking with us. so that's what happened. fortunately, nothing more to report on that, no more nefarious deeds, an all-clear there at the church. thank you very much, chris. we are hearing new accounts of how things unfolded that morning and how teachers will followed a set of strict emergency procedures that ultimately saved dozens of young lives. >> she locked the doors, pulled the blinds down, the curtains, put paper over the window on the door and then sat the kids in a cubbie and read to them. and tried to get distraction off of them, what was really happening. >> joining me now is school safety expert kirsten todd coon. i welcome you to the broadcast. by all accounts, people say the school was as secure as it could possibly be, you had to be buzzed in behind a locked door, yet the gunman was still able to force his way inside. you know, short of having armed

guards on duty inside the school, how could anyone or anything have stopped this? >> well, alex, i think first it's really recognizing the exceptional bork that the school did and the teachers. they did a lot of training exercises. by all accounts, what we have learned, they had trained for evacuati evacuation, for center in place, those teachers in extraordinary acts of courage and heroism demonstrated that and protected those children. 181 school shootings since columbine. those don't happen because schools haven't done enough to protect themselves. those are mental health and gun issues and important for the schools to have the processes in place for when something does happen to minimize those casualties. the here is the arrived to door of sandy who he was going to get in regardless and it was the act of the teachers across the board that made sure those tragedy is and deaths weren't any more than they were. >> very important to keep in mind, it is an issue, as you

aptly say of gun issues and mental health i shall knew one in their right mind would go out and do this just because they had access to a gun what do parents, teachers and kids need to keep in mind or do in an emergency situation like this? >> i think it is protecting themselves and going through the -- what they've learned to be as educated and objective in these situations to make it happen, for them to be put into places of safety. i mean, what the teachers did as far as putting kids in closets in the kiln room and grouping them in places that made themself is important. that doesn't happen on the event and happened ahead of time. sandy hook did a tremendous job educating students and faculty and we need to be doing that as a culture and society, not only school bus other environments to understand and educate ourselves on resilience and what it is, not just to prevent these types of events because we are not going to be able to prevent all of them but how we respond

quickly and effectively? >> a lot of parents wondering as they send their kids to school tomorrow and elsewhere, later this week in connecticut, can we do something more? is there anything we can do to prevent something like this happening? seeing more guards at schools? is that appropriate? >> two answers to that the first is every school has to assess its own risk, if it's in an urban environment, a rural environment, what the risks are going to be and the schools have to respond to that and then they train and they exercise their faculty, their staff and students but the other issue here is the gun issue and mental health issue, look at how can we prevent this, we need to, this is a call for action. if there were ever a time to get behind these issues, it's now az the mother of a first grader and third grader, look wlooek at these pictures, we have the gun issue and mental health issue, which we continue to discuss and dialogue over, it is not appropriate to wait until the tears dry on this. we have to act now and this is

the strongest call for action we've ever seen. >> absolutely. kirsten todd coon, thank you for your time. >> thanks, alex. now more images from newtown, connecticut, including this banner hanging from the side of the building, it simply says, "hug a teacher today," it is not what you are seeing there, but it is there. a flag in honor of the city, numbers representing each of those kill ready attached to the stars and stripes along with a rose. the last line of the message below that flag, we shall never forget them. [ loud party sounds ] hi, i'm ensure clear... clear, huh? i'm not juice or fancy water. i've got nine grams of protein. that's three times more than me! [ female announcer ] ensure clear. nine grams protein. zero fat. in blueberry/pomegranate and peach.

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president obama arrives here in a few hours, he will start off by meeting with victims, their family members, as well as first responders, the people who are suffering the most in this. he will offer his condolences, his support, not only as the president but also as a father and as a husband. then a little bit later on this evening, he will be speaking at this high school behind me, the newtown high school. i'm told by white house officials that his comments will really be focused on the family members, on this community, the suffering of this communityism don't expect to hear anything about policy this evening. alex, this is becoming an all too familiar trip that president obama is making. i have been looking at speeches in tucson and colorado in each of the instances, president obama talks about the lives that

were lost, he delivers biographical information about some of the lives that were lost as well as just remembering each and every one of them. white house officials haven't given me a whole lot of detail about what specifically we will hear this evening but i would imagine that those past speeches will be a good guide for what we will hear from president obama this evening. again, we expect him to arrive in a few hours, the first stop he will make is with the people suffering the most there >> deliver the most poignant moments. thank you so much, kristen welcome. the horrific from sandy hook viewed from afar. what is the world saying about it? a live report ahead. [ male announcer ] this is bob,

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more on that this struck a chord in europe hasn't it? >> reporter: it sure has the desperate picture of young children being led to safety you can the tearful president speaking to the world after shooting. the world responded, alex, with messages of goodwill. >> i was deeply saddened by friday's senseless violence in connecticut. >> normally find something cheerful to greet you with. >> keir, i apologize, i'm sure you worked hard putting that segment together but some of the audio has dropped out. can you just give me an idea of the types of sentiments that are being expressed? >> reporter: yeah, that's right, the sentiment from all around the world, as i was saying, we have heard from just people on

the street, in israel, china, as far afield as china, people expressing deep sorrow about what they have seen and heard. you saw there pictures of the pope during mass this morning, speaking about his grief over what has happened. the queen has sent messages. and so, too alex, places where they have seen similar tragedies. so for example, in the scottish town of dunblane, there was a school shooting in 1996, they sent messages to sanly, one father saying what got him through the first few hours of the day was keeping his family close around him. >> nbc's keir sim. i apologize for our technical difficulties, we will see you next time, thanks. the outpouring of support for the shooting victims including fund raising n newtown, an ad hoc group calling themselves santas for sandy hook

set up a table asking for donation. they said they needed to do something for help. >> we are all here for them. like, if they need anything. the whole community has their backs. like we'll do anything for them. >> those proceeds will be given to the united way to help families. we will be right back. mother-in-law's kimchi, s. for more watch your business this sunday morning at 7:30 on msnbc. [ woman ] we knew it was gonna be bad, but never like this.

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h horrific sights and sounds of the shootings are still fresh in the minds of the the young surviv survivors. but as high schoolers tell us, the scene was just as traumatic for them. >> it was 30 minutes before i found my sister and between the time i found my sister and i saw those other, you know, little children and words can't describe what was racing through my mind. i was always thinking the worst and it was just the worst feeling i can ever describe. >> joining me now, dr. joshua

winer, child an adult psychologist, dr. winer, as kids prepare, teachers prepare, parents prepare to put their kids back in school at the beginning of the week, what do they do right now to make sure that that transition isn't as bad as it might otherwise be? >> i think one of the most important things that parents need to do is they need to make sure actually that their kids do go back to school, particularly for those younger kids who are probably a little bit more prone to be anxious to return to school. what parents need to do is they need to listen to their kids, they need to talk to them about the fact that school is a safe place, nothing bad is going to happen to them when they return to school. but when kids do not return to school because they're afraid of going to school, all that does is strengthen the anxiety that that child is developing and that makes it even harder to get them back to school after that. >> how do you get these young kids to trust again? or is it just a matter of time? >> i think it's mostly a matter

of time, time is one of the best healers and over time most kids are going to be perfectly fine. i think kids are going to struggle a little bit maybe, for the next week or so. but we're talking about for the vast majority of kids who were not directly impacted by this. obviously it's a different story for those kids who were present in the school, they have much bigger hurdles ahead of them, but for all those other kids who are watching this unfold on tv and have been watching some of this stuff, in general, the vast majority of kids are going to be just fine. >> what about those kids in the school, what they have seen, what they have heard, how concerned are you that what may come as a result of time are late tent memories that things are going to be suppressed in the immediate aftermath, but five or ten years from now may be a whole different thing. >> no matter what the trauma is due to a hurricane, a shooting or war, in general about 15% of the population and that includes

kids are vulnerable to developing post-traumatic stress disorder, so again, 85% of kids roughly are going to do okay over time. 15% of kids are going to be the ones that are going to go on to continue to have difficulties for months or possibly years oreloner. >> as a mom, i have struggled at times to be rational and explain things to my kids in a very logical way, when they were younger, and is it better that these kids are younger? might they be able to just trust their parents when they say, honey, it's going to be fine when you go back to school today, or with older kids are you going to have to reason with them in a different way? >> i have a second grader and a first grader and i have not told them about the shooting until today buzz i know they will go back to school tomorrow and i said a bad man did a bad things

in a place far away from where we lived. i want you to know that he died and you're going to be okay and there's nothing for you to worry about. they said, okay, daddy, can we go back and play? and the older kids, they are the ones that have more of a nuanced sense of things, they're able to understand that the world is a dangerous place, that there's no way to guarantee safety, they understand and they have seen these things before. >> that is a wrap. [ male announcer ] the only thing better

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this morning a special edition of "meet the press." the tragedy at sandy hook elementary. even as we grieve, will we face the troubling question about the place of guns and violence in our modern life. sandy hook is the latest and most deadly of a series of mass murders that mark our time. >> the majority of those who died today were children.

beautiful little kids between the ages of 5 and 10 years old. they had their entire lives ahead of them. >> how will the country respond to the most obvious but difficult question, how do we prevent these massacres from happening? everything has a role, political leaders, mental health expertses, law enforcement, gun owners schools and parents. >> we are going to have to come together and take meaningful action to prevent more tragedies like this r5r8s regardless of the pop ticks. >> the latest on the investigation. new york city mayor michael bloomberg who's calling for stricter gun laws. senator d